The Mighty Ducks: All Stars
by HaloFin17
Summary: Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: A Surprising Twist

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note: **Well, I must say I'm not sure how far this one will go, but the ideas are there, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. Plus, I actually just got back from a nine day vacation in Iceland and am therefore itching to start something new in the MD fandom for obvious reasons, lol. Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 1: A Surprising Twist**

"All right, team, listen up!"

Coach Gordon Bombay's voice called for silence as his championship Team USA congregated together in the locker room for a special meeting. They had just come from a press conference officially recognizing them as "world champions," and morale couldn't have been higher.

"I know you're all excited," Bombay went on once he was certain he had the attention of his players. "You guys played an incredible game last night – _all _of you – and I'm sure you're all looking forward to going home."

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming up here?" asked Lester Averman of no one in particular.

Gordon threw him an amused, sidelong glance before continuing. "_But _I have just been informed, and therefore instructed to relate to you, that the Jr. Goodwill Tournament is not over."

"It's not?" The inquiry came from virtually all the young players present.

"No. The Goodwill Games Committee has decided that this year they want to add a special twist to the end the competition, separate from the main tournament – an All Star Team."

The new hockey champions looked at each other. An "All Star Team" sounded cool enough…but what did that mean for them?

"What that means," their coach conveniently elaborated, "is that there will be one All Star Team to start with, and that one team will take on any and all challengers in a week-long, sudden-death tournament. Whatever team is left standing at the end will be declared the ultimate 'All Star Team.' The matches will only last for one period, since there will likely be so many, and the teams will consist of only six people from any country entered in the tournament. And best of all, you players get to pick your own teams; the coaches won't really be involved at all.

"So it's all about meeting new people, working as a team, and learning how to play off of each others' strengths and weaknesses. Now, I know you all can do that already with each other, but I'm truly hoping that you'll branch out and look into forming teams with some of these other exceptional players from around the world."

"I suppose we could think about it," Dean Portman said with a casual shrug. "But let's get right down to the real question here: who gets to be on that first All Star Team?"

It was indeed the question that had been nagging at everyone's mind.

"Yeah," Fulton Reed added excitedly, "will it be all players from Team USA? I mean, after all, we _did _win the championship."

Coach Bombay idly scratched the back of his head and slowly began, "Actually, Fulton…the Committee has decided that they wanted the initial All Star Team to consist of three players from each team that played in the final championship game."

"What?" Team captain Adam Banks was indignant. "You mean they want three of us to play with three of them – _on the same team?_"

"That is the general idea," Gordon admitted rather sheepishly. He'd just known this whole aspect of the affair would go over like a lead balloon.

Choruses of "this stinks" and "that's not fair" rose up in a loud din until Goldberg's commanding voice shouted out above the rest.

"And let me guess, the 'Committee' get to pick those six players too, don't they?"

"Well, not quite," came Bombay's cautious reply. This was the part they _really _weren't going to like. "The Committee has already chosen the All Star Team captain, and then the captain will select the other five players on the team."

"Oh, well that's okay then," Connie Moreau spoke up cheerfully. "Julie won the game for us last night, so it's got to be her! Isn't it, coach?"

Gordon hated knowing that his next piece of information would extinguish the joyful light shining in her eyes. "No, Connie, I'm afraid not."

There was a collective gasp.

"You see, Julie may have been the MVP for the championship match, and rightfully so; but for this All Star Team, the Committee needed to look at players' overall performance for the entire tournament. And sadly, I do have to agree there was really only one choice."

Longtime Duck captain Charlie Conway slowly sighed and dared to voice aloud the name they all were thinking.

"Gunnar Stahl."

"That's right." Bombay nodded, and despondence suddenly loomed over the room like black storm cloud.

"So, who's he picked?" Jesse Hall queried at length on behalf of all his teammates. "Or has he even decided yet?"

"He has," their coach answered. "They showed him our team roster, and he made his choices pretty quickly. From his own Iceland team, he's picked…"

"Sanderson," Portman broke in matter-of-factly. "Of course."

"Yes, Sanderson," Gordon affirmed. "I don't think any committee would be able to separate those two. And also number seventy-four: Gustav Uberjavik. I have no idea if I'm pronouncing his last name correctly, but I do know he played very well in both games against us. But they do still need a goalie, so he's wisely chosen…Julie Gaffney."

Julie grinned at her coach's compliment but still wasn't sure if she should be interpreting this as good news or as a pending disaster.

"I'll bet old Gunnar was just too scared to play against her again," Charlie commented aloud, earning not a few snickers from his colleagues and a modest blush from Julie herself.

It would certainly be a different experience playing on the same team as the two Icelanders she most despised. Even after the championship game, her opinions of Stahl and Sanderson hadn't changed much since her first unpleasant encounter with them. Well, perhaps Gunnar _had _at least been a good sport after losing last night, but that one thing alone was hardly enough to redeem him in her eyes. As for Olaf Sanderson, there was no way Julie or any of the Ducks could ever forgive him for what he'd done to Adam and Connie, among others. Simply no possible way.

"Who else has he picked?" Charlie pressed again. Deep down, he secretly hoped he would be one of the (un)lucky three chosen to play on the All Star Team. And considering Gunnar's personalized congratulations last night, perhaps the "Captain Duck's" hopes were not too terribly unfounded.

But Coach Bombay continued, "For his next pick, Gunnar must have remembered their first game against us when only one goal – one very impressive goal – was scored against them: by Adam Banks."

Banks nodded his acknowledgment of the special recognition, but already he could feel an unhappy knot tightening in the pit of his stomach. This would be another excellent opportunity to prove himself, yes…but was it worth playing on the same team with the one player he'd been most anxious never to see again? He unconsciously flexed his right hand and rotated the wrist experimentally. It didn't hurt him now, but who knew what would happen once he was out there on the ice with his new "teammates"?

"His last choice took the longest," Gordon went on, "and I can certainly understand why. You guys are all such fabulous players, it's impossible to just pick three. But in the end, his final pick was Connie Moreau."

All eyes turned to Connie, who simply sat there with her mouth agape. She didn't understand – how could this happen? Gunnar picking Julie as his goalie was entirely understandable, of course, but…

"Why me?" she managed at last. "Why _me_? Why didn't he pick another enforcer like Portman, or someone with an amazing shot like Russ or Fulton?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask him that yourself, Connie, because I honestly don't know," Bombay answered. "He didn't explain his reasons."

"But why else would he want me on the team if not to make my life miserable and try to embarrass me again? He knows they can do it too, between him and Sanderson."

Poor Connie was getting herself worked up into a veritable frenzy. This was the last thing she would have expected! Or wanted. And her "good friend" Guy Germaine, from where he sat beside her, looked as though he was ready to destroy something. How could those Viking brutes do this? Wasn't it bad enough the way they'd tried to humiliate her during the championship? And if he'd bothered to look, Guy would have noticed that Luis Mendoza and Dwayne Robertson both wore faces of equal indignation.

"You know, I really don't think that's the case," Coach attempted to reassure her. "Those Icelanders are a proud bunch, and Gunnar's got something to prove now, after losing the championship last night. I can't see him doing anything out of spite at this point."

"But it's still crazy!" Portman protested, voicing all his teammates' sentiments about the whole situation. "How can you expect us to just stand by and send these three – the two girls and the scrawny rich boy – off into the clutches of those jerks?"

"Yeah, that's right!" many voices rose in agreement, but Bombay merely shook his head.

"Portman, I'm sure nothing terrible is going to happen. Besides, that's part of the whole idea behind this All Star week: to get you guys playing with kids from other countries."

"Well, I guess as long as we only have to see them during the games, it won't be so bad." Julie tried to be optimistic, as was her wont, but even that was shattered when their coach dropped the next bombshell.

"I almost wish that were the case," he sympathized. "However, the Committee has also decided to provide the All Star Team with special accommodations. The six of you will be sharing the nicer RA dorms in a different building on campus."

"No way!" exclaimed Guy, a fire in his eyes. "There's no way I'm letting Connie stay there with _them._"

"Don't worry, Guy, there are three bedrooms, so Connie and Julie will still be able to share," Gordon consoled him. "This is all still part of the Goodwill Games, so I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

But if the collective looks on his players' faces were anything to go by, the rest of the team clearly did not agree with him on that account.

"Well," Adam finally broke the silence with a deliberate glance at Julie and Connie. "I suppose we should start packing."

**Author's End Note: **Well, whaddya think? Is it a concept worth continuing? Thanks, everybody!


	2. Chapter 2: Breaking the Ice

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note: **Hey thanks, everybody, for the quick and encouraging response to this random little plot bunny! Luckily, I already had Chapter 2 finished, so it can serve as a nice weekend treat. Chapter 3, however, is still being worked on, and I honestly still have to figure out where this whole thing is going. Ideas, anyone? Anyone?

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 2: Breaking the Ice**

"You guys nervous?" asked Julie the Cat as she and her two teammates lugged their bags up the stairs to their new dorm rooms.

"A little," Connie admitted. "I mean, I like the idea of playing with kids from other countries; but I just wish we could've chosen which team we'd be on, like everyone else gets to do."

"That's how I feel, too," Adam empathized. "It's like, I know I should be excited about this…but I'm not. More than anything, I just want to get it over with."

"But you guys would never lose on purpose just to get eliminated – would you?" Julie stopped, unwilling to continue walking until she knew her teammates shared the same passion and drive that she did. She wanted to win, no matter what team she was on.

Connie and Adam exchanged glances of uncertainty.

"No," he said at last, "I won't. I may not enjoy it, but I can survive if it'll give the scouts another chance to see what I can do."

"And I won't give up either," Connie put in determinedly, "if for no other reason than I don't want to disappoint the two of you. We can handle these guys as long as we stick together – because that's what Ducks do."

Her comrades smiled, and with their confidence bolstered, the three friends resumed their upward trek. When they reached the door to their new accommodations, Adam bravely stepped forward, opened it, and strode inside. Julie and Connie followed hesitantly behind, holding their breaths.

"There's no one here," Banks observed, incredulous and in no small part relieved. "I wonder where they could be."

"Well, maybe we'd know if we read their note." Julie walked over to a table in the corner of their large common room and picked up a pad of paper.

"Aw, how sweet of them to think of us," Connie sarcastically remarked as she and Adam both leaned in closer to read over Julie's shoulder.

_We are down at the practice rink. Bring your gear and meet us once you get settled. – GS _

"Hmph," Julie snorted. "Looks like Gunnar's got no qualms about ordering people around. He's going to enjoy this _way _too much."

"Yeah, but we should still put our stuff away real quick and get down there like he says," Banks chastised gently. "We will need to practice with them if we're going to have any chance of winning this thing."

* * *

Three black-clad figures glided effortlessly back and forth across the ice with such familiarity that only came from shared hours of repetitive practice. And off to the side watching them stood three more figures garbed in the dazzling white jerseys of the Ducks.

"I think we're gonna need another change in uniforms," Adam murmured, almost to himself.

"But wait," Connie broke in, peering closer at their former adversaries. "Those aren't the same jerseys they had before. They're still black, but I don't see any Vikings on them."

"Hey, she's right," Julie added. "Maybe those are the jerseys for the All Star Team?"

"They must be." Banks reached down into a cardboard box sitting on one of the bleachers and drew out a jersey to match those of their new teammates. The words "All Stars" were emblazoned across the chest in bright red letters with white trim.

The three friends quickly changed into the new uniforms, reluctant to remove the beloved Duck jerseys, but at the same time realizing that this was a special occasion. After all, it's not as though they were asking the Vikings to wear Duck jerseys, or vice versa.

"Good, you found them."

At the new voice, three Duck heads jerked up to see Gunnar Stahl himself skating over to them. The other two Icelanders stayed out on the rink.

"These are ours for as long as we can hold on to them," he explained, nodding to the All Star uniforms. He graced them with a rare smile. "For the whole length of the tournament, if I have anything to say about it."

Julie worked some moisture into her lips, observing their new captain closely. It looked like Coach Bombay had certainly been right about Gunnar Stahl now having something to prove.

"Come on," he continued, his tone not sounding nearly as demanding as they'd all thought it might. "Let's all get introduced so we can get started."

"Right," Connie whispered sarcastically into Adam's ear, "as though we don't already know who everyone is."

Banks nodded in agreement as they followed Gunnar out onto the ice, but Julie tried to be fair and give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Who knows?" she proposed. "Maybe he wants this to be sort of like a fresh start for everyone?"

But her teammates didn't exactly take the bait; and to be honest, neither did Julie herself.

"You already know me," Gunnar spoke again when they had joined him and his fellows on the ice, "and you probably know Olaf, too. This is Gustav."

The other two Icelanders nodded a stoic greeting while Gunnar turned to look expectantly at Julie.

"Oh," she stammered after a moment of not comprehending. "I'm Julie. This is Connie and Adam."

"We know who you are," Olaf Sanderson replied coldly. "We've all done our homework."

Julie shot a venomous glare straight back at him, but Gunnar wisely intervened before either of them could resume with words.

"All right, then, why don't we start with a quick scrimmage? Adam and I will be one team, and Connie can be with Olaf and Gustav. We can all play on the same goal."

Adam and Julie nodded as the latter obediently took her place between the pipes; Connie, however, just looked uneasily over at the two intimidating Icelanders in front of her. Her only consolation previously had been in knowing that she and Adam would at least be playing together, but now she didn't even have that solace! She tried to frantically remind herself that it was all temporary and skated backwards a bit while her two teammates moved forward to take the face-off with Gunnar.

Overall, their first scrimmage together as the All Star Team went rather well. If nothing else, it showed that they certainly had potential as a group; but for things to be smooth and harmonious, it would require a lot more work. For his part, Adam quickly realized that he was no Olaf Sanderson, a fact which their captain seemed constantly to forget. They just didn't know each other as well; it was more a matter of guessing what the other was going to do than intuitively knowing. Hopefully things would improve when all six of them were truly playing as one team.

* * *

"The tournament starts in two days, so we still have tomorrow to practice and work out our strategy," Gunnar explained later when they were all seated back in their shared dorm. "I think we're off to a good start; just a few things to smooth out, and then we should be fine."

"You mean like who's playing what positions," interjected Olaf. "I assume you'll be at center?"

His friend and captain nodded. "Right, and then I want Gustav and Adam to play defense. Olaf, you'll be my left forward, and Connie, the right."

Connie blinked in surprise, yet nodded. A short time later when they had all risen to prepare for bed, the petite brunette impulsively left Julie's side and stepped in front of Gunnar before he could follow Olaf into the room they shared.

"Sorry," she stammered, "but um…can I ask you something real quick?"

He stopped, giving her his full attention. "Yeah, sure. What do you need to know?"

Connie hesitated suddenly. "Well, uh, I was just wondering – why…"

"Why I chose you for the All Star Team?" he finished, guessing her thoughts, and she nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah. I just don't understand why you would pick me out of all the other players on our team. Wouldn't you want someone like Fulton instead, who can push people around and still have an amazing shot?"

Gunnar actually chuckled at her and shook his head. "You didn't really think I was going to pick a team full of enforcers, did you?"

Connie felt her cheeks warm a little and dropped her eyes to the floor as he continued.

"With us three from Team Iceland, the All Stars didn't need anymore muscle. But you – you're small, fast, and easy to overlook if me or Olaf are being double-teamed. And if that does happen, I'm hoping you or your friend Adam will be the ones open to actually take the shots and score."

"Wow," the young Duck breathed, looking back up at her foreign captain. "You've really put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"

He nodded, musing, "I think we have a very good team here, as long as we can keep from fighting each other." His blue eyes sparkled suddenly. "I also thought you three might be easier to get along with than some of your other teammates."

Connie laughed aloud at that, knowing exactly what he meant by the statement. "Well, we'll see about that; and now there's suddenly all these expectations from everybody. But no pressure, right?"

She'd been half-teasing with that last remark, but Gunnar Stahl's voice was decidedly more subdued when he answered, "Not for you. You've already won the Championship."


	3. Chapter 3: Checking In

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note: **Special thanks once again to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter! Your thoughts and your input really are an encouragement, which I appreciate very much. So now, here's Chapter Three!

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 3: Checking In**

"So, how's your new roommate?" Connie inquired of Adam at breakfast the following morning.

Banks shrugged. "Gustav's cool. His English is really good, and since he loves hockey, that's mostly what we talk about. I suppose rooming with him has got to be better than with either of the other two."

"I don't know, guys, Gunnar might not be _that _bad. Except that he's friends with Sanderson."

"That's right!" Julie emphatically agreed with her only female teammate. "I think Gunnar's been kind of avoiding me since we got here. But, Con, what were you and he talking about last night before bed? I thought you would be coming in right behind me, but you two were out there quite a while."

"What do you mean?" Connie retorted, feeling an inexplicable blush creep into her cheeks. "I just asked him why he picked me, and then we talked a little more about the team in general. That's all!"

Julie opened her mouth to tease her friend a bit more with some cleverly insinuating remark about Guy Germaine hearing of the incident, but she was denied her chance when their three Icelandic teammates suddenly walked into the dorm.

Julie managed a smile of greeting. "Good morning. And where were you three all sneaking off to so bright and early?"

"Six o'clock practice," Gustav answered simply. "It's just a habit by now."

"Really?" the golden-haired goalie mused. "I'm surprised you didn't wake all of us up like it was boot camp or something."

"Don't tempt me," Olaf threatened, with a very fragile veil of humor about his voice.

Gunnar silenced him with a quick glare and offered, "You three can come in the future if you like, but it isn't necessary. We'll all be going back to the rink again for practice this afternoon, anyway."

He then took his own seat at the table, beside Connie and opposite Julie, while his companions shortly followed his example. They must have already eaten breakfast, but they were each still nursing a bottle of water or some kind of sports drink. It grew very quiet.

Finally, just to spare them all from the awkward silence, Gunnar randomly asked, "Did everyone sleep well?"

There were a few heads nodded and a couple of "uh-huh's" murmured, but it didn't exactly get the conversation flowing. Thankfully, Julie had a better idea.

"Have you guys heard anything about the other teams?"

Gunnar shook his head and began idly tracing patterns on the table with his forefinger. "Not yet. The teams are supposed to be decided by this afternoon, and then they'll have the roster listings available tonight for all the captains."

Julie nodded yet kept silent, thinking it rather strange that her own captain wouldn't look her in the eye as he spoke. He truly had been quiet around her since their arrival on the All Star Team, even though he himself had specifically chosen for her to be there. It was all so puzzling.

Practice later that afternoon was more grueling than yesterday's had been, as Gunnar kept rearranging their teams during the scrimmage and even had them run through multiple drills. Such exercises were second nature to the three Vikings present; but for Adam and Connie, it was a battle just to keep up with their teammates through the new routines. It was great practice for Julie, though, who was eagerly awaiting her chance to actually goal-tend in a high stakes match for longer than just one play.

But eventually, after Gunnar was satisfied with their performance, it was time to head back to the dorms. And evidently, there were other perks that came with being on the All Star Team, such as having their meals provided right to their door. It was nice, as the convenience saved them a rather lengthy trip down to the cafeteria on the main grounds, yet it also meant that they had fewer excuses to escape each others' presence.

For a while, Gunnar tried to ensure that whatever minimal conversations they had were spoken in English for the sake of all present; but far too often his countrymen slipped back into Icelandic while talking amongst themselves, either simply out of habit or from a desire to keep the content of their discussion private. As the evening wore on, Olaf and Gustav invented a somewhat viable reason to go visit the rest of their Viking teammates, leaving Gunnar alone with the Ducks.

At first, it appeared as though he honestly didn't know what to do with himself, but things soon settled down as the girls began to chatter away and make some popcorn in the kitchen area. And now seeing his chance to bring up a topic that was long overdue, Gunnar silently settled himself on the couch beside a solitary Adam Banks. He deliberately cleared his throat and leaned forward, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"How is your arm?"

"Huh?" Banks glanced up at him, then back down at the appendage in question. "Oh, my wrist."

"It did not seem to be bothering you at practice," the Icelander beside him elaborated, "but I wanted to make sure."

"It's fine now." Adam unthinkingly matched his captain's tone of voice, quiet and confidential. "I just hope it stays that way."

"If Olaf starts making things too difficult for you, let me know." Gunnar cracked a rueful smile. "I can't exactly force him to do anything, but I can always try to talk some sense into him."

The American teen chuckled softly and shook his dark blonde head. "You don't have to, at least not yet. It's really not as bad as I first thought it might be. But thanks for the offer – I'll keep it in mind."

His companion nodded without another word before rising to retreat into his bedroom, just as Connie and Julie began to throw popcorn at each other and laugh hysterically at some inside joke that had passed between them.

* * *

Early the next morning, the opening day of the tournament, the phone in their dormitory rang, and Connie rushed over to pick it up, figuring that it must be one of their All Star colleagues calling from the practice rink. "Hello?"

A male voice on the other end answered, "Hi, is this Julie? Or Connie?"

A huge grin broke over the teenage girl's face as she motioned frantically for her remaining teammates to join her. "Coach! It's Connie, but Julie and Adam are both here, too. Hang on, I'm gonna put you on speaker."

She hit the button, and Gordon Bombay was able to exchange greetings with his other two estranged Ducklings.

"Coach, it's so good to hear from you!" Julie exclaimed joyfully. "I'm glad you called."

"I just wanted to check in and see how you were all doing," Gordan explained. "Are you excited about the tournament yet?"

"Getting there," admitted Adam, "but so far, I think Connie's gotten the most caught up in it. Julie and I will probably come around later, after we've actually started playing the other teams."

"Ah, I see. But since I'm on speaker-phone here, I have to wonder: where are your other teammates?"

"At their self-inflicted six a.m. practice," Connie answered him. "Those guys are nuts!"

Bombay laughed on the other end of the line. "Yeah, but that's probably one reason why they're so good. And how are things working out with your new captain?"

The three friends exchanged glances before Julie volunteered a response for all of them. "You can tell Gunnar really is trying to make this whole thing work. I still think he just wants to win, but at least he realizes it'll be easier if we all don't hate each other. Not too much, anyway."

"Sanderson is still a jerk, though," Adam put in, and the others emphatically agreed.

Their coach's next query was laced with obvious concern. "He hasn't tried to hurt any of you in practice or anything, has he?"

"No, not like that," Connie spoke up. "I don't think Gunnar would let him; he's just being typically obnoxious at every given opportunity."

"All right, then, that's good to know," Gordon said with a relieved chuckle. "But now I'd better let you guys go before they get back. Good luck this afternoon, and call me if you need anything!"

"Thanks for checking in! Bye!" the three lonesome Ducks called out before their coach hung up the phone, and the delightful conversation ended.

* * *

It was their last practice before the start of the tournament; granted, only half the team was present, but for Gunnar Stahl, it was still a practice. According to him, any time spent on the ice was practice. They'd kept it pretty mild that morning, not wanting to wear themselves out before the main event had even begun.

Yet the All Star captain was mentally slapping himself for being lax in his warm-up routine. There was an unwelcome twinge in the back of his left leg whenever he walked, and fearing a strained hamstring, he had stayed behind to ice it briefly while his two comrades went on back to the dorms ahead of him. That would teach him for not stretching long enough!

He ran a hand through his damp hair in frustration while rummaging around the supply bins in search of an ice pack and a bandage. It could not be a serious injury, merely an irritation, but any chance to minimize the discomfort would be welcome. Perhaps Olaf had more aspirin back in their room, as well.

Just then, locker room door opened, and the tread of a disturbingly familiar stride reached his ears, followed by words spoken in his native tongue.

"Olaf told me I would find you here."

"How very kind of him." As he stood to greet the newcomer, Gunnar immediately eliminated all traces of a limp from his gait. It was a trick he and each of his teammates had learned very early in their careers; after all, one did not dare show any sign of weakness in the presence of Wolf Stansson.

The former NHL player and current coach of Team Iceland stepped forward, closing the gap between them. "I just wanted to see how things were going here; some of your choices from the Americans surprised me."

"We have a good team," Gunnar declared without hesitation, "and I think we're as ready as we'll ever be."

"You've experimented with everyone at different positions? Rotated them around to see where they can be of the most advantage to you?"

"Yes, yes, on the first day." The younger man sighed, musing, "But I think I like being a player better than being a coach."

Stansson chuckled. "Welcome to my side of the game. And now, tell me: are you still angry that I dragged you into that conference with the Committee where we first learned about this whole idea?"

"I didn't want to be there," Gunnar admitted in a low voice. "I was ready to go home."

"Then consider this your second chance, something not everyone is lucky enough to have."

"I'll do my best," Stahl assured him stiffly before grabbing his hockey bag and striding towards the door.

"Gunnar." Wolf Stansson watched with a strange blending of satisfaction and disappointment as his star player instinctively turned back around to face him.

"Don't lose this one, too – for your own sake."


	4. Chapter 4: Thrills of Victory

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note: **Hey, everyone! Sorry for the delay, but I finally have an update. Thanks, as always, to those who reviewed the previous chapter! I truly appreciate it, and it does help inspire me to keep coming back to this story. Hope you enjoy Chapter 4, and I'll catch ya later!

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 4: Thrills of Victory**

A very hasty lunch had just been finished when Gunnar Stahl finally allayed the suspense of his All Star players by laying out the completed roster listings of all the other teams in the tournament. Most were names they honestly didn't recognize, save for the odd Icelander or American. Until they saw the very last group of players.

"Look at this," Connie commented, pointing with a chuckle.

The others followed her indication, and Julie read aloud, "Dean Portman, Fulton Reed, Russ Tyler, Ken Wu, Luis Mendoza, and Greg Goldberg. You know, I don't think they quite got the concept of this whole All Stars week."

"But they do get the concept of beating us," Olaf remarked wryly. Now there was a confrontation he could look forward to, assuming they made it that far. These six celebrated Americans were scheduled to play the All Star Team last, so it truly would be the ultimate showdown.

"Here's the team we're playing first," Gunnar informed them, tapping his finger on the list of six names. "And after we beat them, we play this team. Remember, the games only last for one period, so they can schedule more than one in a day."

"You sound awfully confident that we're going to beat them," observed Adam, and in reply, their captain nodded.

"Because I know we will."

* * *

As it turned out, Gunnar's confidence in their first victory was well deserved. The opposing team consisted of a few Swedes and a couple players from Trinidad, and the All Stars pulled off a decisive victory at six goals to one in only a single twenty-minute period. Their next group of competitors, however, brought around a few familiar faces.

"Hi, Charlie!" Connie beamed as she embraced her long-time friend in the moments before the game.

Banks glided over to greet him as well, inquiring, "Are you the captain for this team?"

"I sure am," Charlie replied proudly. Like members of the team before him, he wore a stark white jersey with the black and red letters "Challengerz" scrawled across the front. "There's me, Jesse, a few Canadians, and even one of our old Viking pals: Amssalik, the guy who had that breakaway goal against us in the Championship."

"Yeah, I remember him." By this time, Julie had also joined them, along with their USA teammate Jesse Hall, and she now cast a furtive glance over to where the other three All Star players were happily chatting away with their old friend.

Just then, the referee skated over. "Come on, guys, let's play some hockey."

Conway nodded an acknowledgment. "Right. So good luck, everyone, and may the best team win!"

As it turned out, the "best team" was considerably more difficult to determine the second time around. Charlie's team played well, and very hard. Amssalik and Jesse each scored a goal early in the game before Sanderson was able to muscle in one of his own, putting the All Stars down by one goal with less than ten minutes to play in the abbreviated match. Gunnar called for a quick timeout.

"Okay," he said, motioning his teammates over to huddle around Julie at the net. "We have about nine minutes to score two goals."

"Two?" Adam echoed. "You mean if there's a tie, _they _win?"

The Icelander nodded. "We have to prove that we really are the best and still deserve to be the All Stars."

"We can do that!" Connie put in enthusiastically. "So, what's the plan?"

Gunnar heaved a sigh. "Amssalik won't give me room to catch my breath in this match, so I want Gustav to move up to the front with me and Olaf on offense. Connie, fall back to the middle, and Adam will stay on defense to help Julie just in case they get away from us. We can't leave her completely by herself."

"Gee, thanks," the goalie herself muttered with a brief roll of her eyes, yet she couldn't keep from smiling a little at the special consideration.

With that, their timeout ended, and the players moved to take their new positions as the play resumed. As before, Amssalik stuck to his former teammate like a wad of bubble gum on the bottom of his shoe, rendering Gunnar Stahl virtually useless; but even his valiant efforts were not enough with two other Vikings now present.

Olaf and Gustav threw their weight around on the ice like they had done so often in times past, and after a few concentrated attempts, the goal was theirs! But even so, it had taken them longer than anticipated to get the puck inside the net, so now there was just over two minutes left to play. And they were still tied.

Now, it was Charlie's turn to call a timeout for his Challengerz team.

"They're probably planning to play a tight prevent defense: anything to keep us from scoring," Gunnar ventured when the All Stars had once more congregated around their own goal.

"We don't have time for any experiments," Gustav suddenly addressed his captain, "so let's finish this _our _way. You and Olaf take the puck and run it right down their throats for a quick goal." His blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "_I'll _keep Amssalik off your back."

His fellow countrymen grinned, looking for all the world like two young racehorses eager to be released from their gate and do what they did best. It was about time!

"Good luck, guys, you can do it!" Connie shouted after them as the three Vikings moved up for a faceoff at center ice.

Amssalik was waiting for them, clearly expecting to be lined up opposite Gunnar as before, but he simply didn't have time to adjust when Gustav appeared to take the faceoff without ceremony. And then their roles were switched. Once the puck had been cleared away from the middle, Gustav ran his opponent up alongside the boards, trapping him there as the two of them bumped and skated side by side. He was virtually defending his own teammates from the opposing team's key defender.

And it was working.

With Amssalik securely out of the picture, it was a piece of cake for Gunnar and Olaf to duplicate the success they'd enjoyed so many times throughout the tournament. The Team Iceland trademark move of faking a shot on one side of the goal while actually turning a full circle to pass the puck to a teammate on the other side worked like a charm, providing the timing was right. And for these two stars of the Iceland Vikings, their timing was always right. It was inevitable, after daily spending so many hours in practice together.

The poor goalie from Canada never had a chance. Gunnar and Olaf brought the puck right up the middle as Gustav had suggested, effortlessly scoring the goal to win, and then the clock slowly ticked away to expire on the first day of victorious matches for the All Star Team.

* * *

Back in the locker room after the game, Julie couldn't help but notice how…uncomfortable things were. All six of them were obviously elated to have come away with such an exciting victory at the start of the tournament; but now that they were alone together again, it was almost as though they didn't know how to celebrate.

The Icelanders were being more loud and boisterous, of course, as they congregated together on one side of the locker room and congratulated each other in Icelandic. The three Americans were on the other side of the room, still all smiles about the day's events, but far more subdued as they discussed the well-fought game.

"Does anyone else feel kind of superfluous here?" Adam quietly asked the girls. He cast a cautious glance over at their other teammates, who were clearly paying no attention to the others in their midst. "Like those three did all the work?"

Julie stared at him, indignant. "Hey, we all played hard out there! Including you – you kept Charlie quiet the entire game. And I know he would have loved to score, especially after sitting out for the Championship."

Banks shrugged. "I still would have preferred to be up on offense."

"Adam, you're a good player; that's why Gunnar chose you," Connie consoled him with a warm smile. "And he probably knew you wouldn't complain as much as some of the others about playing defense, if that's where he decided to put you. But you'll get your chance, I'm sure. Just wait."

He smiled back, grateful for the encouragement, but was interrupted before he could reply.

"Are you ready to head back?" Gunnar called over to them, and they all nodded, shouldering their equipment bags to match the example of their peers.

"It was a good start today," he went on as the six players exited the locker room. "You all played very well."

"Thanks," Julie responded, though more out of politeness than real emotion. In her opinion, it matched his own tardy congratulations better that way. But despite their somewhat awkward beginnings as a team in this tournament, Julie suspected that the thrill of victory over a common enemy would be enough to unite them all ere the end. In the meantime, however, it would be interesting to see how events unfolded. Very interesting, indeed.

They were outside now, on a direct course for their new lodgings which were located a bit farther away from the ice rink than their previous ones had been. Yet the girls were at least grateful that, so far, there had been no need to worry about the pranks, practical jokes, and otherwise rowdy behavior so typical of the guys on Team USA. Perhaps Wolf Stansson insisted that his team live, as well as practice, with considerably more discipline than was customary of teenage boys.

As they walked on, the sky grew ominously darker, and the air was suddenly heavy with the threat of rain. By some unspoken consensus, they all quickened their pace with a distrusting glance skyward, hoping to outrun the storm now heralded by distant rumblings of thunder. But it was no use. What started as a light sprinkle transformed into windswept torrents in a mere matter of seconds. Thankfully, it was a warm summer rain, but that didn't make the experience of getting drenched any more enjoyable.

They immediately started running, and Gunnar raised his black sports jacked above his head to create a sort of unstable shelter, spreading it out to also cover Connie, who ran alongside him. Adam did the same for Julie, and even though the gesture did little to guard them against the whipping wind, it was the thought behind the action that mattered.

The hockey players finally reached the right parking lot through the drenching downpour, spurring them on with new energy as they sloshed heedlessly through puddle after puddle. Once they finally stood together dripping wet inside the building, Olaf shook his fair blonde head like a dog, sending another shower of water into the eyes of his already soaking teammates.

When they groaned and protested, he just laughed. "That was fun!"


	5. Chapter 5: Girl Talk

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note: **Surprise, surprise, this chapter is ready much soon than I'd expected. Hooray for inspiration! And thank you much to my dear reviewers. You guys are the best! Hmm, the Center Text function isn't working...dumb technology. Oh well. I'm sure you all can manage. Enjoy!

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 5: Girl Talk**

The following morning played out much the same as its predecessor, with Gunnar and Company returning to the dorm just as the members of Team USA were finishing up breakfast.

"So who do we take on today?" Connie asked, leaning eagerly across the table. She really was having fun with this All Stars week, even if Sanderson grated on her nerves like nails on a chalkboard. He could be tolerated if it meant another week of playing as tournament champions.

Gunnar brought out the roster listings once again, laying it out before them like he'd done yesterday, while his teammates gathered around anxiously.

"The first game today will probably be harder," he mused aloud. "It's all players from Iceland and Denmark, so we should expect to play a lot of defense."

"We can handle them," Banks assured him, "and I know Julie's up for the challenge."

The All Star captain nodded in agreement with a quick glance toward his goalie. There was little doubt in _his_ mind as to the extent of her goal-tending abilities.

* * *

And with good reason. Their first game late that morning was indeed a defensive struggle, but Julie was loving every second of it! So far, she had half a dozen saves in only twelve minutes of playtime. It was exhilarating!

"Good work, Goalie!" Uberjavik shouted to her as he circled around their net to clear the puck.

"Thanks, Gustav!" Julie called back, smiling. "Keep up that killer defense!"

But with the three Icelanders well occupied trying to keep their own former teammates in check, it was up to Adam and Connie to move the puck forward offensively, utilizing their speed and skill. Much like Gunnar had predicted before the start of the tournament.

Banks brought the puck up along the left-hand side, evading two defenders along the way before another player from Denmark finally caught up to him and rammed him hard into the boards. At the last moment, he flicked the puck away across center ice where it was intercepted by Connie, who had come up unnoticed on the other side of the rink.

She took the puck, deftly maneuvered past the defenders, and came around to the other side of the net. Her petite size and agility had been invaluable in avoiding the much larger bodies that aimed to knock her off her feet. Then, it was a simple matter of misleading the Danish goalie and nimbly sending the puck into the far corner.

It was the only goal scored in the entire match, but it was enough to win. And that was all that mattered.

* * *

For the second game immediately thereafter, the new Challengerz team consisted of one Canadian and three Frenchman, along with the smiling faces of Lester Averman and Guy Germaine.

"Guy!" Connie happily skated up to give him a big hug, a gesture which he was only too happy to return.

"How are you holding up?" he asked when he'd finally let her go.

"Oh, I'm all right," she declared nonchalantly.

"Are you sure?" he insisted, full of concern. "I mean, staying with _them _and all."

"Guy, I promise you, I'm fine! Sure, they can be a little…obnoxious, but there's nothing to worry about. In a strange way, it's actually kind of fun being on their side for a change."

Young Germaine did not look overtly comforted. "Well, okay, if you say so. I just don't want you to get in any trouble with them, that's all."

That evoked a genuinely sweet smile from the brunette teenager in front of him, and she gave him another quick hug before the referee called for the opposing teams to take their sides. Connie slid over to her starting position at right forward, not noticing until it was too late that Olaf Sanderson had come up close behind her.

"Who was that? Your boyfriend?"

Connie Moreau cringed inwardly. Now that they were officially "teammates," would it really look that bad if she decked him again like she'd done in the Championship match? Gunnar, at least, would surely not be pleased.

"Well?" her Icelandic nuisance persisted.

She turned to confront him. "No, Olaf, Guy is _not _my boyfriend! We're just…very good friends. We've known each other for years."

"Ah, I see. But if he's not your boyfriend, maybe you should tell _him _that." Sanderson threw her a sly wink. "I don't think he ever got the message."

Connie was blushing furiously before she could stop herself. Having absolutely no better ideas at the time, she simply stuck her tongue out at Olaf and turned around. He laughed hysterically, of course, which only served to infuriate her further. Oh, but she really did want to punch that jerk again! And yet belated intelligence revealed to her that, while the teasing had been typical of his obnoxious nature, it hadn't been nearly as spiteful as she might have expected from him only three days prior.

Meanwhile, Sanderson himself had skated over to the far side of the rink, where he was soon joined by his captain.

"Come on, Olaf, leave her alone."

"What?" his comrade protested. "It's all a joke."

"I know, but it's a distraction; and I'd much rather have her focused on the _game._"

"You're no fun."

It was hard for Gunnar not to laugh at the well-rehearsed pout on his best friend's face. "Have your 'fun' later. There will be plenty of time for it, but we have to win this match first."

"_This _match?" Olaf shook his head, bemused. "Please, Gunnar, have you seen their team? This one will be a snap."

And he was right. There simply wasn't anyone on the Challengerz team big enough to compete with the Icelanders. Guy managed to take a couple of shots, both of which Julie blocked; but for the most part, the All Stars were amply employed on offense. Even Connie was enjoying herself.

Her past experience playing with Guy came in very handy, but it constantly worked against the latter, as he would pass it to her out of habit. All she had to do was call out for the puck whenever his back was to her, so he couldn't see the black of her jersey that stood out in stark contrast to the white of his own. She actually scored twice using that method.

"Hey, no fair!" he shouted to her, though he was laughing at the same time. "That's just too sneaky."

"It's no sneakier than some of the stunts we pulled in the Championship!" Connie yelled back, feeling no remorse whatsoever for her strategy. Understandably, her teammates appreciated it, as well.

After Connie had scored her second goal of the game, Gunnar and Olaf made a gentle sandwich out of her, reminiscent of their Viking celebration ritual; the latter even reached over to rub the top of her helmet in a playful hair-ruffling gesture.

Guy Germaine, however, was not so thrilled.

* * *

"That was so much fun; we were the heroes out there today! Or the heroines, rather." Connie was grinning from ear to ear as she chatted away with her friend in their dorm room later that afternoon. "Jules, do you know what we need to celebrate and relax after a hard day like this? A girls' night out!"

Julie frowned. "A what?"

"A girls' night out," Connie explained excitedly. "You know, like dinner and some shopping, and maybe a manicure or pedicure? The games finished early today, so we've still got the whole night ahead of us!"

"Are you sure? What about Banks?"

"We'll tell him we're leaving, so he won't worry about us."

"No, Con, I mean are we just going to leave him here with the other three and tell him he can't come with us?"

The brunette stared at her. "Of course, otherwise that would defeat the purpose of a 'Girls' Night Out'. As for the 'Other Three,' as you called them, Adam can take care of himself; he's tougher than you might think. And besides, they don't bite; or, at least, they haven't bitten anyone yet. I think Banks will be just fine."

So Julie shrugged, conceding, and grabbed her handbag. It wasn't really one of her preferred ways to spend an evening, but still, who was she to turn down pampering and some choice shopping in Beverly Hills?

* * *

A couple of hours later, two young ladies each bearing shopping bags and freshly-pampered toes were seated at a nearby sushi restaurant, awaiting their main course. Once again, Connie had come up with the idea and then had to convince Julie it would be worthwhile.

"I can get all the fresh seafood I want back home in Maine," the golden-haired goalie protested when their strange-looking food arrived, "but at least there everything is still _cooked_. How did I let you talk me into this?"

Connie laughed. "Because it's so good! There's a little sushi place in the Mall of America that I go to all the time, and this should be even better since it's California-fresh. Here, just try one of these rolls with the rice; you can hardly tell you're eating raw fish. And some of them have cooked crab, too; so if you like seafood, I'm sure we can find something to suit your fancy."

"Okay, I suppose." Julie tentatively took a bite of one of the rolls that had cooked meat. It wasn't bad, especially if she added a little ginger or soy sauce like her friend suggested.

"After this All Star week is over, we'll have to get one of the guys to tell you about their little shopping misadventure," Connie continued cheerfully.

Her new friend frowned quizzically. "What's that?"

"Goldberg just wanted to get his mom a Beverly Hills T-shirt, so he and a few of the other guys went to _Rodeo Drive _– just for a T-shirt! They ended up making a really fun time of it, and of course, got into a load of trouble." The brunette shook her head. "Sometimes I'm not sure what to do with those boys; wait for them to grow up, I guess. _If _that ever happens."

Julie chuckled. "Yeah, I think we're gonna have to give them some time. But how did you hear about this whole shopping fiasco?"

"Dwayne told me. The poor cowboy was still confused about how 'Rodeo Drive' could be so snobbishly fancy."

"Hmm. Dwayne _is _an awfully nice guy, isn't he?"

"Yes, he really is. Just the other day before we left, he was talking to me about…" All of a sudden, Connie caught the suggestive glimmer in the other girl's expression and rolled her own dark eyes. "Oh no, Julie, not you too! Olaf was already teasing me like crazy today about Guy when we played his team. Come on, aren't we girls supposed to stick together?"

Julie finally broke up laughing. "I'm sorry, Con, really! It's just too funny how so many of the guys on our team act like they're sweet on you. It must make things pretty complicated, especially for poor Guy."

Her companion deliberately chose not to address that last remark. "Well, you're one to talk! What about the way Adam and Portman are both tripping over themselves to get _your _attention?"

"Huh? Connie, please…"

"No, no, Jules, I'm serious! Come on, I can't believe we haven't talked about this yet: girl stuff, ya know? So, it's obvious they both like you a lot; they're both really protective and have stuck up for you at different times."

"But in very different ways."

"Well, they're different people! But they both have their good points about them." Connie smiled slyly, enjoying this whole ordeal far too much. "Things a young lady might find attractive."

Julie valiantly suppressed a blush. "I do admit there are some things about both of them that I really like, but others that I don't know how I would live with if we were actually dating. Maybe what I need is someone kind of in between."

Connie stole a surreptitious glance around them and leaned forward across the table. "I think you may already have one available, if you'll go for it."

The blonde goalie was genuinely surprised. "Really? Who do you mean?"

The other lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Gunnar."

"What? Please, Connie, are you kidding me? There's no way, no remotely possibly way!"

"Just think about it for a minute: he really is an almost perfect combination of Adam and Portman. Not to mention, he's way cuter than either of them, just between you and me."

Julie sat back in her chair and suddenly laughed. "Well, at least it's good to know I'm not the only one who's noticed, being around him so much more now. But again, there's just no way! First and foremost, he's here to play hockey – to _win _hockey – and secondly, if he likes anyone here at the games, it's you."

"Me?"

"Of course! I was even going to ask you about it later tonight. Con, how can you honestly think he likes me when he's obviously so much more comfortable around you?"

"Because of what you just said!" Connie grinned. "Jules, the fact that he's so comfortable around me is the surest indication that he does _not _have a crush on me. I mean, I do sort of feel that he's looking out for me sometimes, but it's never awkward being around him. _You're_ the one he gets nervous around; _you're _the one he's intimidated by. I've seen him! I think he totally has a thing for you."

Julie wet her lips and swallowed nervously. "I don't know, Con; that would just be too weird. He's probably still just upset or embarrassed about how I blocked his shot in the Championship."

The brunette shrugged. "Well, you can think what you like, but you can't say I didn't warn you. And since we're talking about Gunnar, have you ever noticed that he always calls everyone by their first name, instead of the last like we tend to do? I don't know if it's a cultural thing or just a personal preference, but I think it's kind of cute."

Her friend only sighed and remarked, with a roll her blue eyes, "Connie, are you sure_ you_ aren't the one crushing on _him_?"

Connie grinned playfully. "Nah. He is growing on me as a person, but like you said before, I've got plenty of male drama just within our own team."


	6. Chapter 6: The New Meaning of Defense

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note: **Hi, everybody, I'm back! I haven't been dead, just very busy. I am sorry to keep you waiting for this long, so hopefully this update will be worth the wait. I also hope it will help get the creative juices flowing again so I can really get a move on with this project. And I think a special shout-out is due to **nitexblssm **for posting her own fic involving the Icelanders. Reading that got me thinking about this fic again, so thank you very much! Please enjoy the update, everyone, and I hope to see you again soon. Thank you all for your patience!

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 6: The New Meaning of Defense**

Unfortunately, the infamous "male drama" continued for poor Julie, as their first match-up the following day was against a team of Italian and French players – notably led by the suave Italian team captain, Gianni. He had winked at her straight away when he first saw Julie during warm-ups, and the American goalie had shamelessly proceeded to whack herself across the facemask with her stick.

_Oh no, please, not him again, _she had entreated desperately, but all to no avail. Back in the earliest days of the Goodwill Tournament, Gianni had developed a major crush on her, and had been in no way afraid to show it. Not that being romanced by an attractive foreigner was an entirely unwelcome prospect, but when Connie had been slighted in the fervor of his confessions, Julie had immediately extinguished all hopes of a potential relationship in her own mind.

Gianni, however, did not appear to share her opinion on the matter.

"_Ai, bellisima!" _he cried, waving at her and smiling as he moved in for the opening faceoff. Julie just wanted to bury her head in the sand somewhere; or in the ice, rather, if only it was deep enough. And why did she feel her cheeks burn with something akin to shame when she noticed Gunnar observing their interactions and frowning deeply?

The impassioned effusions continued throughout the first half of their match, much to Julie's dismay and extreme annoyance. It was hard enough to focus on the game with him shouting _"Donna bella!" _in her direction at every given opportunity! But thankfully, the All Star offense was taking care of business very nicely down at the other end of the rink, and their team was already up three to nothing with just over eight minutes left to play.

_"Mi amore, _look this way!" There he was again, skating around her net just to aggravate her, even though the puck was clearly down by his own goal again.

Julie rolled her eyes. This was getting really, really old, and simply ignoring him did not seem to be working as she'd hoped.

"Gianni, please, will you just back off and leave me alone? How many times do I have to tell you, I'm _not _interested!"

"Ah, _donna bella, _but you just say that now. You do not give me a chance to change your mind."

He slid over next to her and began to 'casually' wrap an arm around her shoulders. Julie reacted instinctively, at once pushing his hand away and preparing to make her first contact with the two star Vikings look merciful; she needn't have bothered. In the blink of an eye, Gianni was suddenly sprawled out on his back across the ice, having been hauled down from the collar of his jersey by an enraged Gunnar Stahl.

And Julie Gaffney could only stare, dumbfounded, as her team captain shouted down at the offending Italian with unbridled fury. Still spellbound, she couldn't make out a word he was saying or decipher if he was even speaking English; but there was no need. The spark of righteous anger in his blue eyes said plenty.

Soon the referees were there to pull away the irate Icelander who was now undoubtedly speaking in his native tongue. Gianni rose shakily to his feet, skates slipping a bit as he visibly wrestled to regain his composure. His naturally tanned face was as pale as the ice itself.

Gunnar, meanwhile, was being escorted rather unceremoniously off the ice by the head referee, who kept futilely telling him to "calm down." Such a penalty, of course, could only be punishable by ejection from the game.

When their captain had vanished from sight down the tunnel toward the locker rooms, the remainder of the All Stars joined Julie by the net.

"What the hell was that all about?" Olaf demanded, looking none too pleased.

"I'm…not sure," was Julie's half-true reply. "I didn't even know he was there."

"Wonderful," Gustav chimed in. "Now we have to finish a game and a half without our best player."

Olaf raised his eyebrows at that last remark. "We can manage," he assured them, "but I'm still going to give Gunnar a hard time about it. What the hell was he thinking?"

* * *

Indeed, closing out the first match proved to be a simple matter; it wasn't until they saw who they would be playing in the second game that the All Star Team began to worry.

"Howdy, Connie!" Dwayne Robertson gave the much shorter brunette a friendly pat on the head as he greeted her and the other American All Stars prior to the drop of the puck. "How're these boys treatin' y'all?"

"Oh, they're fine," Connie placated his misgivings. "But Gunnar got himself thrown out of the last game, so now we're playing one man down."

"Gosh. It must've been pretty bad."

"It was," Adam said stiffly. "Now, Dwayne, who else is on your team?"

The cowboy smiled. "I'm with a bunch of guys from Germany and Denmark. We've had a couple of real good practices together, so this should be fun."

"Let's get in line, everyone!" shouted a referee who skirted past them.

And with that, the game was on! But it certainly did not start well for the All Stars. Dwayne, as they already knew, was fast and furious with the puck – a fact which was only accentuated by the physicality of his larger teammates. So it was exceedingly difficult for the All Stars, now lacking their star player, to keep the puck on their offensive side of the ice.

To make matters even worse, Julie's mind was still a blur. What _had _Gunnar been thinking? Did it really bother him _that_ much that the opposing team was pestering his goalie? Or was it rather the fact that _she _was his goalie, being undesirably serenaded by some handsome Italian, that bothered him so much? Either way, it was not a happy state of mind for any goalie, especially with Dwayne Robertson handling the puck right outside her net.

The All Star defense was holding fairly strong, despite being down one man, but it was only a matter of time before the showboating cowboy finally snuck one in.

Julie groaned as she picked herself up off the ice, all the while internally berating, _Focus, goalie!_

Now in need of two goals to secure their All Star title, the team rallied around their net during a timeout called by Olaf with less than six minutes left to play.

"All right, we need a plan," a breathless Connie panted, "and fast!"

Sanderson immediately took charge. "Right, so here's what I want to do. Connie, Adam, and Gustav will all go up to play offense. We need to keep the puck down there, but not waste too much time before we score. I'll stay back here to play defense with Julie." He locked her in his cold blue stare. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she confirmed, nodding. "It's just been kind of a weird day."

"Well, keep your pretty head in the game, we need to hold them," was his stern reply. "Everyone else good?"

After a trio of positive affirmations, they broke from the timeout and put their new plan of attack into action. They experienced some initial success and put in a single goal scored by Adam; but maintaining that momentum was a tricky business, and Olaf was putting in more than his fair share of work on the defensive end of things.

Julie also managed some rather spectacular saves against Dwayne and one of the Germans, having determined to do away with all thoughts of Gunnar Stahl until _after_ the match.

In the end, it was Connie Moreau who saved the day by once again utilizing the very skills for which Gunnar had selected her. She was small enough to maneuver around behind Dwayne and sneak the puck away from him even as he was in the midst of one of his hallmark moves. Then, with Gustav and Adam paving the way clear of opposing bodies in front of her, it was simply up to Connie to score the winning goal with under two minutes remaining in the game.

And she did.

When the buzzer finally rang, Julie Gaffney breathed a huge sigh of relief and raised her blue eyes heavenward. "Thank you for another miracle."

* * *

Back in the locker room after the game, things were tense. Olaf rounded on Gunnar as soon as the two were within sight of each other and immediately resorted to Icelandic. He very nearly had his friend cornered against the lockers. Even Gustav kept his distance from their confrontation.

"What the hell happened out there?_ I'm_ the one who's supposed to lose my head like that, not you! Are you trying to get us eliminated? We almost lost that second game without you."

Gunnar rolled his eyes. "Just forget about, Olaf, okay? It's over." He then tried to move past the taller teen, but Sanderson grabbed his shoulder.

"Over? Gunnar, you can get fined for pulling stunts like that in the pros. You'll be lucky if they don't suspend you for the rest of the tournament."

"They've already talked to me; they said it was enough that I missed the rest of today's action."

"So you're good for the rest of the tournament, then?" Gustav finally spoke, in English to ensure that their entire team would be on the same page, and Gunnar responded with a definite nod.

"Yes, I will still be playing."

"Good! They probably saw what a jerk Gianni was being and decided it was no less than he deserved," Connie put in spitefully.

"That's right," Olaf agreed at once as he flashed a quick grin of approval in her direction. At least the girl's violent tendencies were not restricted to Icelanders alone. He finally moved away from Gunnar then and headed towards his own locker.

But just as they were about ready to start trekking back to their dorms, Julie quietly slipped away from her American teammates.

"Hey, Gunnar?"

He looked up from grabbing his equipment bag as she approached, his face strangely expectant.

"Um, I just wanted to say…thank you."

The Icelander nodded with a sudden smile. "You're welcome. He didn't bother you anymore after I left, did he?"

Julie suppressed a genuine chuckle. "No, he didn't; in fact, I don't think he came anywhere near me for the whole rest of the game."

"I'm glad. Someone needed to put him in his place." Gunnar smiled again, and Julie squinted up at him.

"You know, you look so serious all the time; you really should try smiling more often." She offered an uncharacteristically timid example of her own, eyes darting down to his feet, then back up again. "It looks good on you."


	7. Chapter 7: Lessons in Linguistics

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note:** A belated Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Year to all of you! I am pleased to announce that I actually have a timely update for you guys. Thank you much, as ever and always, for all your encouraging reviews. And special thanks to my friend **nitexblssm **for the lovely gift of updating her MD story on Christmas Day. I can't wait to see how that one plays out! And it just further proves that great minds do indeed think alike. I've had this brief swimming scene in mind for quite some time, so I had to laugh when I read that her fic is foreshadowing a "day at the beach." Lol, that should be hilarious!

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 7: Lessons in Linguistics**

Gunnar Stahl glided smoothly across the ice during the early morning warm-up routines with his two comrades. He had lately given up calling the ritual a "team practice," seeing that there were only three people present. He and Olaf could still go through their unique passing drills, but it really wasn't all that challenging without a goalie.

His goalie. It was funny how quickly he had come to think of her as such, considering that less than a week ago she had literally been his least favorite person on the planet. Amazing how the human mind could change its preferences so rapidly. His actions in her defense yesterday may have been unwise, but he did not regret them in the least. To say that Olaf had berated him for the uncharacteristic outburst was to put it mildly; but Julie had thanked him afterward, and that, for some reason, had made it all worthwhile.

"Gunnar, look out!"

Gustav's shout finally roused Gunnar from his musings, and the latter blinked to behold the puck floating right in front of him toward the boards. It would have been a perfect pass, had he actually been paying enough attention to receive it.

"What's the matter with you?" Sanderson's familiar voice called out from across the rink. "Wake up and get your head in the game!"

Gunnar nodded briefly before skating over to retrieve the puck. He passed it back over to Olaf, who habitually spun around to fake a goal and slide the puck across to Gustav on the opposite side of the empty net. The younger teen put it in easily – too easily, Gunnar thought. Maybe he could convince the Vikings' goalie to come help them out a bit at these early practices? Not likely, considering the All Stars had yet to play his team; that would be tomorrow, if all went well.

"Hey there! Could you guys use a goalie?"

The three Icelanders turned as one and saw none other than Julie Gaffney herself in full gear skating out across the ice to join them. "Sorry I'm a little late."

"Who cares if there's no coaches?" Gustav laughed, motioning her into the net. "We can always use a good goalie!"

The Cat flashed him a quick grin before bringing her helmet down over her face, but she felt her heartbeat quicken inexplicably when Gunnar Stahl was suddenly at her side.

"I'm glad you came out." His voice was quieter than his friend's had been, signifying more of a private conversation, and Julie answered him in kind.

"Well, I just figured you guys might like more of a challenge at these early morning practices."

Gunnar opened his mouth to respond, but their encounter was abruptly cut short by an impatient Olaf Sanderson.

"Let's go, Goalie!" he yelled, shooting a powerful slap-shot at her weaker stick side. The puck flew straight into the net, and Julie found herself glaring at him from underneath her mask. Beside her, Gunnar laughed and gave her a quick pat on the back as she fished the puck out of the folds of netting for him so they could start their drills anew.

The exercises proved to be almost more than Julie had bargained for when she'd first decided to attend the practice; all these guys did was shoot at the net – at _her, _more specifically – with a relentless rhythm that spoke of countless hours spent together in such a manner. She could tell that Olaf and Gunnar in particular knew each other as intimately on the ice as she knew her best girlfriend of six years back home in Maine.

She did manage to block a decent percentage of shots, but every time it seemed she finally had their strategy figured out, they would change their approach and throw her off balance again. There was no doubt these Vikings could certainly keep "the Cat" on her toes.

But it was also uniquely fun in a competitive, challenging sort of way, and Julie Gaffney knew without question that she would be here on the ice again at six a.m. tomorrow morning.

* * *

"So, I hear you joined the boys for their little ritual this morning?" Connie grinned mischievously at her friend while the two of them stretched out on the ice prior to their first matchup that same day.

Julie shrugged with forced casualness. "I don't see why it's such a big deal? You should have seen them practicing out there without a goalie, Con, it was way too easy – especially for them."

"But you didn't start going until _after_ Gunnar totally saved you from Gianni. That's a bit of a coincidence, don't you think?"

The blonde girl battled the rising color in her cheeks and swatted playfully at Connie's head with her goalie glove. "Oh, will you just stop it!"

"What?" Connie feigned innocence, then suddenly dropped her voice. "But I still think you guys would make a cute couple." She ducked another swing from Julie and retreated back to the refuge of her front line position, gleefully giggling all the way.

Their first game was against a team consisting of players from Russia and Germany, each of them as big and brutal as the All Star Icelanders. And well did Connie know it. This was by far the worst game for her to date in the All Star tournament, as she simply couldn't stay on her feet long enough to get her bearings. Apparently, these Challengerz viewed her and her much larger teammates as equal threats to be dealt with in the same fashion, and a petite teenage girl just didn't hold up as well under that kind of abuse.

During a brief timeout, while Connie stood bent over to catch her breath, Olaf skated up behind her.

"All right, Lady Duck?"

She sucked in a deep breath and put on a brave face. It would never do for him, of all people, to start thinking she was a weak little girl again. "Yeah, I will be. I just wish these guys would leave me alone for two seconds!"

"Who is covering you?"

Connie blinked, suddenly confused. Did she detect an actual desire to be helpful in his voice now? "Um, one of the German players, I think." She indicated her stalker with a quick point, and Olaf nodded.

"I'll take care of him for you." Then he left her without another word, and play resumed.

At first, Connie wasn't sure how to interpret those ominous words, but she found out soon enough. Her tormentor was back on her in a hurry, running her up alongside the boards so it was impossible for her to get out into the open middle of the rink and help her teammates. But then, a sudden movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention, and Connie wisely let herself fall to the ice behind her antagonist just before a dark blur appeared out of nowhere and absolutely plastered him up against the boards.

The German player hit the ice hard in front of her, and Connie was genuinely shocked beyond words when Olaf Sanderson reached down to offer her a hand up, which she accepted purely out of reflex. Had he really just done that? For _her_?

The tallest Viking didn't wait around for any sort of gratitude or acknowledgement from the girl he'd rescued – only threw one more deadly glare at the moaning enforcer still facedown on the ice and skated off to assist Gunnar, his captain.

Connie blinked, still rather dazed by the whole affair, and immensely relieved that it had not been she on the receiving end of Sanderson's wrath. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of glancing back at Julie and knew deep down that her friend had seen everything and was laughing at her, even in the heat of battle. No doubt she would be hearing plenty about this little incident later, back in their room that night.

But the game at hand marched inexorably onward, and it was only with great effort and numerous attempts that Gunnar and Olaf finally managed to punch in a well-earned goal. With only a minute and a half left to go, the opposing team called for a timeout, and the All Stars likewise congregated to take counsel around Julie's net.

Gustav peered over at their competitors, whose captain was speaking quite loudly in German without fear of being overheard. "I wonder what they're saying," he pondered, but it wasn't a purely rhetorical question.

Gunnar furrowed his brow in concentration, listening hard. "It sounds like they're planning to send all their players up on offense as a last effort to score and tie the game. We'll be ready for them."

"I didn't know you spoke German too. Is everyone in Iceland trilingual?" Adam truly looked impressed, but the All Star captain only shrugged as though it were nothing special.

"My dad is from Germany, and his whole family still lives there. My older brother does now, as well. We grew up speaking Icelandic and German, which are similar languages, and English is taught in all the schools. It's really not that big of a deal."

"Sorry, I hate to interrupt this lesson in linguistics," Julie broke in, "but it looks like they're ready to start play again."

She was right indeed, and Olaf moved up to take a faceoff against the same player he had flattened earlier in the game. Once again, it wasn't much of a contest. But Gunnar's hearing had served him well, and the All Stars were fully prepared for the onslaught of aggressive offense that pummeled them for the remaining ninety seconds. Their defense held strong, and Julie had a two vital saves before the clock expired and the All Stars were officially victorious!

The second match of the day turned out to be another easy one, against a team of more Italian and Swedish players. The All Stars dominated that game with a decisive victory of five to nothing.

* * *

"Should we really be socializing with them this much?"

Now secure within the confines of the girls' room, Julie shrugged. "We might as well; after all, we _are _living with them for a whole week."

"I know, but _swimming_?" Connie practically squirmed.

"Why not? We've got this building's pool and hot tub entirely to ourselves. It'll be fun, not to mention relaxing."

"But, Jules, this could get really awkward really fast!"

The blonde girl laughed. "Connie, please, what are you so worried about? It's like, since Sanderson saved your life out there today, now you have to be all jumpy about being around him and the others. And you know, he _did _practically hug you the other day."

"That was just to make Guy jealous," Connie snipped right back. "Now, seriously, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, right! I just wanted to ask you if I should wear my hair down or up in a ponytail?"

Connie's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Well, we're just going swimming, so it's going to get wet anyway. I'm going to pull mine back in a braid. Besides, since when do you care how your hair looks?"

Julie blatantly evaded the question. "That's not important, Con, but tell me: up or down?"

The brunette sighed, conceding defeat to her elusive roommate. "I would wear it up, because that way it'll show off your neck and shoulders more."

This time, there was no mistaking the hot flash of color that rushed into Julie Gaffney's cheeks.

* * *

"So, does this feel more like home yet?" Gunnar lazily inquired of his fellow countrymen. There truly was nothing that soothed those abused, aching muscles of a hockey player better than a hot tub. Or a "hot pot," as they affectionately called them back in Iceland.

Olaf tilted his head up at the ceiling. "It might if we were outside, but it's too bloody hot for that here. Remind me never to come to Los Angeles in the middle of summer again."

The three friends were still laughing about that when their American teammates finally joined them in the warm, bubbling water.

"What's so funny?" Connie demanded, though she was wearing a big smile of her own. "I hope you all aren't laughing at seeing us in our swimsuits."

"Oh, no, we wouldn't laugh at that," Olaf told her cheekily. "I was just saying how hot California is compared to Iceland."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Adam chuckled. "How warm, or how _cold, _was it there when you guys left?"

Gunnar did a quick conversion from Celsius in his head. "About seventy degrees Fahrenheit."

"Gosh, and it must be at least eighty-five here every day," Connie added. "Between that and the time difference, it's really incredible that you guys have been playing great ever since you got here."

"Not that incredible," remarked Gustav. "We got here a few days early to get used to the time change, and the temperature outside doesn't really matter when you're on the ice."

"I suppose you're right. But isn't Iceland a volcanic island, even though it's all frozen?"

Olaf laughed again. "It's not that bad. There are lots of glaciers, and the center of our country is all volcanic wastelands; but where we live by the coast, it's really quite pleasant."

Julie shifted to position herself in front of a new water jet. "Have any of you actually seen a volcano erupt?"

Gunnar nodded, his blue eyes lighting up at the memory. "Mount Hekla went off again just last year (1991), and most people, including all of us, went out to watch her from a distance during those first few days. It was amazing!"

Connie's dark eyes went wide. "Wow. But isn't that kind of dangerous and…scary?"

"A little," Gustav admitted with a shrug, "but you get used to it. Hekla is our most active volcano, and it's sort of a tradition now to go out and watch her. It's like watching history! The real trouble is when you get volcanoes erupting under the glaciers, which happens often enough. Then you have to worry about flooding, on top of everything else."

The three Americans silently exchanged glances before Julie let out a nervous chuckle. "It all depends on what you grow up with, I guess."

**Author's End Note: **FYI, the Hekla eruption I'm referencing is that of 1991, and the MD2 movie came out in 1992. Gosh, that was a long time ago now…Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8: Bumps and Bruises

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note: **I'm finally back! Thank you, one and all, for your patience; I'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting for far longer than even I'd anticipated. And while I know this chapter is shorter than you all deserve after such a wait, I'm afraid it's all I've got. Honestly, at this point, I'm just anxious to get this story finished. And after this update, there's only one more chapter to go, so wish me luck!

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 8: Bumps and Bruises**

It was a rough start that awaited the All Star team the following morning. Their schedule that day looked to be a difficult one, with an opening match against a team of more German and Canadian players. This group wasn't as large as the one the All Stars had faced yesterday, but they were quicker and possessed more highly developed skills than their predecessors.

Nevertheless, Gunnar Stahl's All Star team was able to rally around their top two scorers to pull off an exhilarating three-to-two victory.

But the worst was yet to come. There was a reason they had not yet come across many Icelandic opponents, as several of Gunnar's old teammates had joined with a couple of exceptionally burly Russians to make quite a formidable team of their own.

That match was the hardest to date for everyone on the All Star team. The three Icelanders could keep up with their fellows well enough, while Connie and Adam were getting thoroughly mashed in a mess of bigger bodies. And since the entire Challengerz team was big and fast, it was nearly impossible for the larger All Stars to assist their comrades.

The referees had even lapsed on calling penalties, apparently accepting that this was just going to be a very physical game. However, they had no choice but to make a call when a bulky Russian player lined up Gunnar from across the ice and slammed him into the boards, taking special care to rattle the All Star captain's head with his shoulder in the process.

The head ref's whistle blew to stop the play, which was fortuitous as Gunnar had not yet regained his feet after the brain-jarring blow. Gustav was helping to lift his friend off the ice, while Sanderson followed his opponent's retreat to the penalty box with eyes of cold blue fire. There would be hell to pay for that one when he got out!

But as it was, there were more pressing matters of concern. The game was still tied at zero-to-zero with only three minutes left, and Gunnar was moving very slowly on the ice, if not a bit unsteadily as well. The referees were insisting that he sit out for a few plays, or even the remainder of the game, but the stubborn Icelander only waved them off, claiming he could still play just fine. After all, there was no one to substitute for him if he came out. However, his teammates knew it was not a promising sign when their fearless leader motioned Olaf forward to take the ensuing faceoff in his stead. Clearly, he was nowhere near his normally high level of play.

Which meant that now, it was finally Adam Banks' turn to shine and save the day! He thought back to Team USA's first matchup against Iceland, when the prospect of a clean shutout was too repulsive even to consider. So, just as he'd done then, he took firm control of the puck behind Julie's net, blatantly deserting his position on defense, and called upon all the experience he knew to get him down to the other end of the rink in one piece.

Still repeating his first solo success almost to the letter, Banks hugged the right side of the boards as he made his approach. Gustav took care of one brutish enforcer for him, while he spun away from another and closed in fast on the Challengerz goalie. The Viking goalie. His familiarity with Gunnar and Olaf's style of play was one very critical reason why no points had yet been scored.

Adam would have to change things up a bit, use a shot this goalie had not seen from him before. His mind suddenly raced back to his old Pee Wee days as a Hawk, and to all of the more advanced drills Coach Riley had made them learn. Drawing on one he prayed would work, he faked, shot…and scored!

Banks let out a whoop of celebration and threw his hands up high above his head. Even Sanderson high-fived him in congratulations. The All Stars held on to that one-to-nothing lead to win their closest match yet.

* * *

In the locker room that afternoon, the mood was decidedly subdued after such a narrow victory bought at a potentially very high price. And the game tomorrow against that team of all USA players was bound to be just as difficult, if not even more so.

No one spoke as the team began to collectively shed their padding, until Connie shattered the silence with a sharp gasp. "Oh my gosh, Gunnar, you're bleeding!"

Gunnar blinked at her numbly before looking down. The inside pads of his helmet were bright red. He reached up to his bare head and did indeed feel a familiar wet stickiness, but Olaf was already there pulling his hand away for a closer look at his friend's injury.

"The bleeding's stopped, but it still looks pretty bad," he commented softly in Icelandic. "Do you want to have a doctor look at it?"

"No." Gunnar reflexively tried to shake his head to indicate the negation, but soon found that to be a bad idea. It throbbed, and he had to bite down on his tongue for a moment to keep the pain from showing on his face. Whether Olaf was fooled or not, was an entirely different matter. "We only have one game left, and I don't want anyone telling me I can't play tomorrow."

"All right," the older teen said hesitantly. "If you're sure."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need to take it easy tonight."

Gustav made no comment; but having understood their conversation, his expression was understandably one of greater concern than his American colleagues who, for their own part, could only hope that they low voices indicated something other than questionable captain.

* * *

After such a long and trying day, the All Stars decided it would ultimately be best to have a more subdued evening together and just go see a movie before turning in early.

"How about that one?" Gustav pointed to a title in the _Los Angeles Times _listings, and the others all tilted their heads to follow his indication. "It looks good."

Olaf agreed. "I'd like to see that, too. It just came out here in America, so it will be a while before we get to see it in Iceland."

"Hmm. Looks like a good gory, shoot-'em-up action flick." Connie threw a questioning look over at Julie, who merely shrugged. "Sure, why not! We've already had our 'girly night,' and it just wouldn't be fair to drag you all to some chick movie."

Sanderson snorted in disgust at the idea. "You wouldn't be able to get us to one of those movies."

Connie just smiled with fake sweetness in reply and batted her eyelashes at him mockingly.

Soon enough, they had all agreed to the choice of movie, with the lone exception of Gunnar.

"You all go ahead, but I'm going to pass," he said. "I don't really think a loud movie would help my headache very much." Truly, the young hockey star from Iceland currently wanted nothing more than to cuddle up in bed with a fresh ice pack.

"That's probably a good idea," Julie encouraged him, fully aware of how much the All Stars would need their team captain well and active in tomorrow's ultimate matchup. Personally, she was feeling rather under the weather herself, with an earache and a bit of a sore throat; but surely it would be a little too odd if she and Gunnar were to both stay behind together. Besides, she was well enough to handle a movie, provided she could still get a decent night's rest before tomorrow.

A few minutes later, after Gunnar had disappeared into his room and the others were on their way out the door, there was a familiar _Brrriinng_ in the air.

Connie dashed back inside to answer the phone, and her face immediately brightened into a wide smile as she identified the caller. "Hi, Coach! Sorry I can't really chat right now, we were just heading out the door. No, no, everything's fine; we're just going to see a movie tonight. The guys want to see some action flick, but that's okay because Julie and I already had our girls' night out. But thanks for checking in again, and we'll see you at our last match tomorrow. Wish us luck!"

And Gordon Bombay could only hang up his dead receiver, feeling as hopelessly perplexed as ever.


	9. Chapter 9: Fevers on Ice

**Summary: **Takes place immediately after D2. Virtually a continuation of the Jr. Goodwill Games, with a surprising twist for all. Important note: my previous MD fics have NOT taken place in this context. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no one and nothing is mine.

**Author's Note: **Hooray, it's finished! I admit this has been a fun little adventure, but I am glad it's over. A thousand thank-you's to everyone who has reviewed and followed along with me on this random journey. Enjoy the finale, my friends!

**The Mighty Ducks: All Stars**

**Chapter 9: Fevers on Ice  
**

Julie tossed and turned in her dorm bed. She had slept but briefly, and fitfully at that, and she now found herself unable to fall back to sleep. Her throat felt painfully dry and raw, so that she would have loved nothing more than to reach some sort of claw back down there and scratch away. But of course, that wouldn't have solved anything.

Not to mention, there were much bigger problems to worry about. She was shivering with an undeniable fever, and a hacking cough rattled inside her chest. She tried to keep quiet for Connie's sake, but finally the cough became too unbearable, and she was forced out into the open common room.

_Great, _she thought dismally, _now I can wake everyone up._

Still hacking away, Julie shuffled her feet over to the kitchen area and fumbled blindly around in the dark for a glass. Logic naturally told her to turn on the lights, but a sudden, glaring light in her face was absolutely the last thing she wanted. What she really needed now was some ice cold water on her tortured throat!

After a few more failed attempts, she at last found an empty glass and held it with clammy, shaking hands under the faucet. One full glass she finished on the spot before refilling her cup and plopping pitifully onto the couch. It was certainly good to be off her feet, but Julie realized much too late that quickly draining a cup of ice water had brought her fevered chills back with a vengeance – and she did not think she now possessed the strength to get up again and retrieve the inviting blanket from her bed. Why, oh why, hadn't she thought to bring it with her in the first place?

"Julie? Are you all right?"

Oh no! That was Gunnar's voice, if ever she'd heard it. What cruel, horrid luck that he should find her in this pathetic state! So much for trying to look her best these past few days; the image she'd striven so carefully to construct was about to go up in flames. Feverish flames.

"Yeah, it's me," she croaked, already hating the way she sounded.

Gunnar came around the couch so that he stood in front of her, and his voice when he next spoke was layered more with outright concern than mere politeness. "What's wrong?"

Julie sighed and tried not to sound overly childish as she lamented, "I'm sick."

Another fit of chills overtook her just then, and Gunnar suddenly vanished from her sight. The young teen's heart sank. Was she truly that repulsive, that he had to run away from her as though she were carrying the Black Plague? But then he came back and – bless his heart – laid a most welcome blanket overtop of her where she sat curled up on the couch.

At first, Julie thought it was her own blanket, the very one she'd been wishing for not long ago; but then she realized that it was still warm and had a distinctly different odor embedded deep within the fabric. It was his blanket. He had given her his own, rather than risk disturbing Connie by entering the girls' room. And besides, she had already gathered from more than one source that Olaf was a heavy sleeper.

"Sorry I woke you up."

He waved away her apology. "You didn't. I slept while the rest of you were at the movie, and now I can't get back to sleep. That's all."

"How's your head?"

"I think it will be fine. Maybe not perfect for the game tomorrow, but good enough. Right now, it's _you _I'm worried about."

Without warning, Gunnar reached out and laid his hand against her forehead. "You're hot. I mean, you feel warm," he amended after a belated realization of what he'd said. "Like you have a fever, or…I'm sorry."

Julie tried to laugh at his unfortunate blunder, but only ended up coughing again. "That's okay, I knew what you meant."

"Not that you aren't still very attractive." His voice had abruptly lost its flustered, embarrassed edge; he knew exactly what he was saying now.

And Julie struggled to keep her own tone light, yet equally honest, when she answered, "Like this? I could almost kiss you just for saying it, except I wouldn't want to get you sick too right before the last game."

Gunnar smiled. "Perhaps afterward, then?"

The young American felt her heart flutter suddenly as she looked up at him; he truly did have an irresistible smile. It was only disappointing that here was the first time they had actually talked about their feelings for one another, and she was too miserable to fully enjoy it.

"Yeah," she finally agreed, nodding, with a small smile of her own. "I think I would like that."

"I think I would, too. But you don't have to play tomorrow if you are not able to. You probably shouldn't play."

"But there are no substitutions in the All Stars tournament. What would you do without a goalie?"

He shrugged. "We would figure something out. Maybe one of us could fill in, just so the net isn't empty."

"And then what, go through the entire game one man down against the toughest team we've played yet? I don't think so. I know how much it would mean for you to win this tournament. So I'm going to play tomorrow, and that's a promise."

Gunnar sighed, somehow managing to look both grateful and guilty at the same time. He knew having a real goalie in the net was a necessity in any game, and tomorrow's especially; but he would hate to see this girl endanger her health on his account.

"I suppose you ought to get some sleep then," he said at last and drew the blanket up closer around her shoulders, making sure she was comfortable. "Rest well, Julie the Cat. I will see you in the morning."

* * *

"Julie? Jules, you have to wake up." Connie's gentle, reticent voice broke into Julie's stone-like sleep the following morning as the brunette sought to gingerly shake her friend awake.

"Huh?" Julie's thick voice barely managed to squeak out.

"It's eleven o'clock, and the game starts at one. If you're going to play, you need to start getting up now."

The golden-haired goalie groaned and rubbed her congested head against the couch cushions. "Practice…?"

Connie smiled, both relieved yet still concerned for her friend's wellbeing. "Don't worry, the six a.m. practice was cancelled this morning. Gunnar didn't feel up to it, either, but he says he'll be ready to play this afternoon."

"Then so will I." Julie slowly pushed herself upright, coughing up a veritable storm, while Banks hurried off to refill her water glass. The three Icelanders were off seated together around the kitchen table, trying to look as though they weren't all desperately interested in the condition of their star goalie.

Connie frowned in disapproval. "Careful, Jules, you really shouldn't move too fast yet. Are you sure you still want to play?"

"Yes, I'm sure." The blonde stopped to clear her throat and gladly accepted the water back from Adam.

"But why?" he demanded. "You don't have to kill yourself over this game; we already have a gold medal."

"I know, but _they _don't," Julie hissed back with a gesture toward their Nordic teammates. "I promised Gunnar I would play today, and I will. He's got too much at stake here! I can't imagine him having to face all the people back home, his other teammates – and _especially _Stansson – if he were to lose the All Star tournament at the last minute, too. So I _am_ playing."

As though proving her determination then, the teenager from Bangor, Maine, stood up and marched back into her bedroom with as much force as she could muster. It wasn't much.

Connie watched her go and sighed. "I'd better see if I can make her eat some breakfast, too. It'll be no good having her play on an empty stomach."

"Yeah, but it'll be no good if she throws up all over the ice, either." Adam made a face, even though his voice had still been purely sympathetic.

* * *

The "Ultimate All Star" matchup that afternoon was as physical a hockey game as any the Jr. Goodwill Games had yet seen, and those who were fortunate enough to attend knew that they were indeed witnessing something special. For not having any substitutions available, the two teams held up very well under the barrage of flying bodies.

Dean Portman and Fulton Reed naturally selected the two star Vikings as the recipients of their wrath, and the Icelanders were only too happy to respond in kind. As far as both sides were concerned, this match had been long in coming, and they welcomed it, relishing every hit as a culmination of the rivalry between their respective nations.

If the injury to Gunnar's head still troubled him, he either forgot it amidst the adrenaline-fueled frenzy, or simply hid the pain of each hit he took with a performance of startling conviction. Doubtless this was another result of Wolf Stansson's rigorous and intense trainings; the coach himself was now seated in the stands with Marria to await the outcome of the game, as were Gordon Bombay and Michelle McKay. On opposite ends of the rink, of course.

Having set up a very hasty and tentative game strategy before going to the movie last night, the All Stars put forth a special effort to keep Russ Tyler and his infamous knuckle-puck at bay. Gustav had been devoted almost entirely to that purpose, while Olaf and Gunnar kept themselves occupied with the two Bash Brothers. Dwayne Robertson and Kenny Wu were Adam's and Connie's respective responsibilities. Banks had enough skill of his own as a puck-handler that he could contend with the Cowboy's flashy showmanship, and Connie was small and agile enough to keep up with the elusive former figure skater.

It was a sound plan that worked marvelously well for the majority of the game, as the opponents were all so equally matched. As of this morning, the All Stars had also put a renewed emphasis on defense to help relieve the burden of their fevered goalie, who had taken a good deal of medication back in the locker room yet refused to let anyone else know of her ailment before the tournament was concluded. She and Gunnar truly were alike in that regard. But as the clock ticked down to the final minutes of play, the defending All Stars realized they must find a way to score very soon, or risk forfeiting the game on a zero-to-zero tie. They could not let that happen!

Having arrived at an unspoken agreement of their own, Gunnar and Olaf simultaneously shoved their American counterparts aside when the puck came near them and made a vicious charge down toward the opposing goal. They knew they could score against Greg Goldberg if given the opportunity, and he knew it just as well as they did. Putting forth a great effort to circumvent both Dwayne and Russ with one of his best maneuvers, Gunnar faked a shot to Goldberg's right, but used the backhand a split second later to flip the puck to the other side of the net. Sanderson was waiting for it, having guessed his friend's intent from the beginning, and it was an all too easy matter for him to shoot the puck forward past the disoriented goalie's left side.

The All Stars were officially up by one, and if they could only hold on to that slender lead, the tournament would be theirs! But a team of competitive American champions was not about to let them do that easily. They were all fighters, and it was that same spirit that had brought them back from a three to nothing deficit to tie Iceland at five all in the final seconds of the Championship. And just as the Ducks had done then, they turned to Russ to make it happen.

With the final minute now ticking away, the Bash Brothers and their teammates dedicated all their desperate energies to freeing their greatest hope from Gustav's clutches. Even little Ken Wu partook in the melee! And it worked. The three Icelanders were finally restrained just long enough for Russ Tyler to pull out into the middle of the ice, accept a beautiful pass from Dwayne, and take his shot.

Julie Gaffney saw it all, her heart pounding. Unlike Gunnar's shot in the Championship match, when she'd known his strategy beforehand, Russ's knuckle-puck was ridiculously unpredictable. That was what made it so dangerous. Praying that her experience and natural catlike reflexes would come through for her just one more time this tournament, Julie thrust her glove out toward in the direction of the shot and waited. The miniscule fraction of a second that it took for the puck to reach the net had never seemed so long before.

A small weight landed in her glove, and Julie's breath caught in her chest. Against all hope, she had done it again! And just like last time, the rest of the world still didn't know. But this time, instead of looking at the person who had attempted the shot – namely Russ – her eyes sought the exact same person they had before in the Championship. Because now, even as then, the outcome was most important to him: Gunnar Stahl.

His blue eyes met her own from across the ice, and once again his fair face bore that same trademark look of dreadful anticipation. Never, ever in all his life had he wanted anything more badly than he desired her success right now!

The entire stadium held its breath, watching and waiting, as Julie the Cat stood up in the net and casually tossed away the only saved knuckle-puck of the entire tournament. In that same moment, the time clock buzzed to signify an end to the game, and the crowds exploded into cheers.

Gunnar took off skating toward her at a full sprint, and she watched him come, laughing herself to see the childlike joy spread across his handsome features. She knew it had always been there, lurking beneath the grim, businesslike façade Stansson had always required of him. When at last he reached her, the Viking captain whipped his helmet off, gripped her shoulders to pull her close, and kissed her full on the mouth, without a care in the world for whatever else was transpiring beyond the two of them.

Fulton and Portman at once looked ready to move in for the kill – literally – but a pair of venomously threatening glares from Connie and Olaf stopped them dead in their tracks. Nobody noticed how sincerely dejected Adam Banks looked all of a sudden, even in the midst of the All Stars victory celebration.

Connie stood apart from the new couple, observing them contentedly and rejoicing in the knowledge that she had played no small part in bringing them together. She glanced up at Sanderson, who likewise stood in silent vigilance beside her, and noticed that the sharp features of his face wore a distinctly troubled expression.

"What's wrong, Olaf?" she pestered, happy to be the one teasing him for a change. "Does it really bug you that much to see the two of them together?"

"No, I am happy for him. I just hope your friend realizes she is getting both of our entire teams into a lot of trouble right now."

Connie's face twisted into a very puzzled frown. "And why do you say that?"

The Viking sighed. "Because they'll both be sick after this, and then we'll all have to sit on a plane with them for hours tomorrow. It is _not _going to be fun!"

And so it was that for the first time in all of recorded history, Olaf Sanderson of Iceland and Connie Moreau of the USA Mighty Ducks actually shared a laugh together.

**_The End_**


End file.
